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(AP) Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony
Kushner is writing a new play that will premiere at the Guthrie
Theater in spring 2009.

The Guthrie commissioned Kushner, who wrote the epic AIDS drama
"Angels in America," to write a play Kushner is tentatively
calling "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and
Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures," Guthrie director Joe
Dowling said.

Set in Brooklyn, N.Y., the play "will have a family dynamic,
and it will be dealing directly with gay issues," Dowling said.
      

The theater, which has never done a Kushner play, started
discussing the possibility of a world premiere with Kushner late
last year, Dowling said.

      
"I have great admiration for Tony's work," Dowling said.
"Tony is always engaged with the issues - both political and
social issues - that really resonate with the audience."

      
The theater also wanted to establish itself as a place for both
classical and contemporary works, and hopes the partnership with
Kushner will let the world know it's now in the business for world
premieres, Dowling said. The Guthrie opened an elaborate new
three-stage theater overlooking the Mississippi in June 2006.
      

"This is an indication of a big change," Dowling said. "We
want to be seen as one of those theaters that creates new works for
the American stage."
      

Kushner, who has also received an Emmy and two Tony Awards, won
a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for "Millennium Approaches," the first
half of his two-part "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on
National Themes," which offers a look at AIDS and gay life in the
1980s. "Angels in America" was later made into an HBO film.
      

His other plays include "A Bright Room Called Day" and
"Homebody/Kabul." He also wrote the book for the musical
"Caroline, or Change" and the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's
"Munich."

Gallery

Arts and Culture

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony
Kushner is writing a new play that will premiere at the Guthrie
Theater in spring 2009.

The Guthrie Theater will show the newest play from award winning author and playwrite Tony Kushner.  The new play is expected to premier in the spring of 2009.

Pulitzer winner will write play for Guthrie

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